The Huon Valley has a long history of bushfires. The first recorded major fire that impacted on the Huon Valley was in 1897. Six people lost their lives and dozens of homes were destroyed.
The most devastating fire was on 7 February 1967, when fires swept through the south and other parts of Tasmania claiming 62 lives and destroying more than 1,300 homes and 128 major structures.
Bushfire can also impact on the economics of the area, even if controlled and kept away from houses and people. They can have a particularly devastating impact on forest and plantation areas, destroying tonnes of millable timber and killing countless native animals.
While there have been many improvements in fire mitigation and response, including the fire permit system and better reourced and trained fire brigades, bushfire remains the most likely natural hazard to occur within the Huon Valley.
Bushfire-Ready Challenge Program - Spring 2023
The Community Bushfire-Ready Challenge is an immersive bushfire preparedness experience happening in Spring 2023 and available to all Tasmanians.
Register as a family or household and receive weekly challenges across a 6 week program.
Through this experience we will help you know your bushfire risk, create a bushfire plan, prepare your property and much, much more!
You’ll have the opportunity to engage with Tasmania Fire Service bushfire-ready experts, as well as receive rewards for completing challenges.
Bushfire-Ready Challenge Program | TFS BRN (bushfirereadyneighbourhoods.tas.gov.au)
Protecting yourself and your family from fire
The Tasmania Fire Service provides valuable information on protecting yourself and your family in the event of bushfires.
You should ensure that your family has a bushfire plan, and that all members of the family know exactly what to do in the event of a fire.
Protecting yourself and your family from bushfire
Protecting your property
The Tasmania Fire Service and the Council encourage residents to protect their properties from bushfire by removing any vegetation growing near your house, including long grass, and keeping gutters free of rubbish.
Protecting your property from bushfire
The Bushfire Resilience Rating home self-assessment app places decades of science and research into people’s hands, allowing them to assess their home and measure how well it would perform in a bushfire event.
The app provides households with a customised action plan, specific to their individual property and local risk. As tasks are completed, the home’s Resilience Rating is updated – allowing households to immediately see the positive impact on their Rating.
Bushfire Protection Plans
The Tasmania Fire Service has completed a bushfire plan for local communities that provides local, community-specific information to assist with bushfire preparation and survival. The focus of the Bushfire Protection Plan is on bushfire safety options, such as Nearby Safer Places, Evacuation Routes and Emergency Information.
Fire permits
The Tasmania Fire Service imposes restrictions on the lighting of fires in the open during the drier months.
Prior to burning any vegetation, you MUST check if a permit is required from your local Fire Permit Officer. Contact the Tasmania Fire Service on 1800 000 699.
Total fire bans
The Tasmania Fire Service will only declare a Total Fire Ban on days when the danger of fire is extremely high and when fires would be expected to develop rapidly and be extremely difficult to control.
Usually a Total Fire Ban only lasts for 24 hours and there may only be two or three during the summer. Days of Total Fire Ban will be advertised in daily newspapers and on television and radio.
Lighting fires in the open, the use of wood barbecues, slashers, grinders, and other potential sources of fire, are all prohibited on days of Total Fire Ban.
Current bushfire information
The Tasmania Fire Service provides information on bushfires currently burning in Tasmania.